(CNN) - In the ongoing war of words between Rush Limbaugh and Colin Powell, top Bush strategist Karl Rove is siding with the popular talk radio host.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Rove said Limbaugh would edge out the former secretary of state if he "had to pick between the two."

Rove's comments come after a back-and-forth between Limbaugh and Powell, during which both have charged the other is hurting the GOP's chances of success in the future.

Discussing divisions over the direction of the party in the wake of its losses in the 2006 midterm elections and 2008 presidential election, Powell said the party should expand its base.

"I have always felt that the Republican Party should be more inclusive than it generally has been over the years and I believe that we need a strong Republican Party that is not just anchored in the base but has built on the base to include more individuals," he told "Face the Nation."

Ultimately, Rove said, the debate between Limbaugh and Powell is a "false" one because neither is a candidate for public office.

"The real debate takes place out there in the real world by people getting out there and encouraging the kind of candidates who represent their vision for the party," Rove said.

soundoff(247 Responses)

Rachel

Does anyone care what Rove thinks anymore? Oh well. Keep talking. These clowns are the worst thing that could be happening to the Republican party right now, which is never a bad thing as far as I'm concerned...

May 24, 2009 03:54 pm at 3:54 pm |

Rachel

Rove's probably scared of offending the almighty Rush Limbaugh and his dittoheads.

May 24, 2009 03:56 pm at 3:56 pm |

Rushhole: A neo-con that apologizes frequently and has been butt-snorkeling Rush so much they have been completely enveloped by the vast void!

"False" debate?

"The real debate takes place out there in the real world by people getting out there and encouraging the kind of candidates who represent their vision for the party," Rove said

Just what does rove the moron think that lush is doing?

May 24, 2009 03:56 pm at 3:56 pm |

danny

limbaugh, rove, cheney, gingrich - they are all devils!! can't you see through their masks.

May 24, 2009 03:59 pm at 3:59 pm |

The Veteran

So a racist college dropout, who never served his country would edge out a highly decorated and educated former Chairman of the Joint Chief's of Staff, and former Secretary of State?

That my friends is the Republican Party. That is why I'm am clearly not one of them.

Rove should be giving his interviews from Prison, along with Cheney.

May 24, 2009 03:59 pm at 3:59 pm |

Buzz Daly

Let's see......do I believe two obese fatheads who never served their country, or, a clear headed, experienced, visionary, with common sense, and, someone who knows what leadership is about, Colin Powell?

Don't make me laugh.

You two fratboys, need to exit the scene. You're embarrassing yourselves.

Thank you.

May 24, 2009 03:59 pm at 3:59 pm |

quiet already

Gee, a guy who never served in the military and who was never commander in chief thinks he knows better? GET IN THE REAL WORLD ROVE! Follow your own advice. You, W, Limbaugh, Cheney...you live in an altered reality where any random decision you make is pure genius. You've done nothing to help America. Your contribution to humanity is division, lying, suffering, hate speech and other things that Jesus Christ would not condone.

You sir, are unpatriotic. Get a real job with pay based on performance and not who you know. Then see what reality really is.

May 24, 2009 04:01 pm at 4:01 pm |

Tanya

Hmmm.....to quote Karl Rove regarding his siding with Limbaugh over Powell...."Ultimately," Rove said, "the debate between Limbaugh and Powell is a "false" one because neither is a candidate for public office." I agree, and wouldn't logic dictate that the so called "duel" or debate between Cheney and Obama is also a false one because, and I quote Rove, "neither is a candidate for public office." In other words, the MEDIA should ignore Cheney, there is absolutely no reason to keep putting that "has been" out front row and center, except, let me think....oh,yes, I know...it's for RATINGS.

May 24, 2009 04:05 pm at 4:05 pm |

w.l. jones

If King George were alive today he would say good we let them win because they love to fight over nothing. I mean the Reputhuds.

May 24, 2009 04:05 pm at 4:05 pm |

Phil

M.C. Rove in the house.

May 24, 2009 04:06 pm at 4:06 pm |

Peter

This is news why...?

May 24, 2009 04:06 pm at 4:06 pm |

cameron

Whew! Good thing Rove is an idiot.

May 24, 2009 04:07 pm at 4:07 pm |

Mamanomia

Rusty LImberger...really, this gets more hilarious by the day...Keep it up Rover and Rusty...you be da play ground bullies...

May 24, 2009 04:08 pm at 4:08 pm |

Pragmatic

So the primary forces of darkness within the Republican Party – Rove and Limbaugh – are ganging up on the man who has the most integrity of any of the current crop of prominent Republicans.

Rove was the spin doctor behind the administration that discredited America in the eyes of the world, and Limbaugh was its de facto media mouthpiece. Both are extreme right wing zealots. Neither are at all credible.

Powell, while he made some mistakes in the lead up to the Iraq war, is a moderate who adds credibility to the Republican Party.

If the Republicans choose the Rove-Limbaugh path over that walked by Powell, the Democrats will be in power for a very long time.

May 24, 2009 04:09 pm at 4:09 pm |

Allexy

Who really cares what Karl Roves thinks anyway,except Fix news.Karl Rove should worry more about the jail term he's going to face someday soon.As for Cheney,he's just getting some fools excited for his new book.The Republican party is a dying breed,and people like Limbaugh are being used to facilitate the process.

May 24, 2009 04:09 pm at 4:09 pm |

Thomas

..Well, it was only a matter of time before the doughboy surfaced. Looks like the clown car is full!...Did anyone mention to these miscreants that their time is not only up ,it's over.
Shoo! All of you. Go away. You are no longer relevant nor needed.

May 24, 2009 04:10 pm at 4:10 pm |

Jasmine

I would vote for Powell any day of the week over Cheney, Limbaugh, Newt, Palin, Rove, Steele, or any other of these Republicans that are speaking out right now. He has always had my respect, even though we disagree on most things. He's exactly the sort of Republican that the GOP should be having on the front lines right now. Everyone respects Powell regardless of political persuasion and that's a good thing that needs to be celebrated – not a bad thing! ..only the staunch right wing respect any of the others. These neo-cons disrespecting Powell so publicly only gives the GOP more of a black eye (if that's even possible).

May 24, 2009 04:11 pm at 4:11 pm |

Jack

Rove,

You need to go the to cliff with Rush "over the cliff" Limbaugh

May 24, 2009 04:11 pm at 4:11 pm |

Franky

You have got to be kidding me. A choice between a decorated General vs. a big fat drug addict and you chose the big fat drug addict. No wonder the GOP is in the position it is in.

May 24, 2009 04:11 pm at 4:11 pm |

Hop Capitol

Of course Rove picked Limbaugh, they are the same brand of liars whose entire careers are built on self promotion at the expense of our country. Great news though, in the depth of the Bush junta people would point at the Colin Powells and the John McCains and say that is why I'm still a Republican. Pretty soon, the fanatics who run the party won't have the safety net of intelligent and respectable moderate conservatives. The GOP is a fringe party that should rightfully be lumped in with the greens, libertarians and the communists.

May 24, 2009 04:12 pm at 4:12 pm |

MC in OR

I side with Zippy the Pinhead over Rove simply on the basis of moral judgement and integrity. Rove has neither.

May 24, 2009 04:13 pm at 4:13 pm |

John in NoHo CA

Well, DUH!, he would.

Powell's departure from Rove's administration (er, Freudian slip) was a huge relief for me. I HATE the Republican Hannity/Limbaugh condescension. But when Powell was fired/quit, I hoped he'd be who actually turned out to be: a decent man with differing opinions from mine.

Powell is a Republican I respect and admire. Maybe because he wore the uniform and served two tours in 'Nam... one that Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush wiggled out of when being dove-ish when called, yet managed to be hawkish about using other people's children as political pawns.

Mr, Powell, I admire you. And thanks for your duty to help us, even when it was a war tforty years ago that was as wrong as the one we have today.

May 24, 2009 04:15 pm at 4:15 pm |

erik

Good, good.... This is exactly what I want to hear. Infighting amongst the republicans can only be good for the country. This will help to assure Democratic control for at least a few years. The Democrats will shift the pendulum back to a more rational place. Six, ten, perhaps twelve years from now, the republicans will get their act together after having purged the ridiculous far-right psychopaths. Their presence as a viable party will be needed at that point to help balance against the excesses that will inevitably occur from the Democrats having too much power for too long. By that time, the economy will have turned around, Iraq (and hopefully Afghanistan/Pakistan) will be "resolved", and hopefully a couple of the right-wing morons on the Supreme Court will have died and been replaced by moderate liberals...

Then we can get back to politics as usual...

May 24, 2009 04:16 pm at 4:16 pm |

vence

The empire strikes back!

Generals vs Politicians.
Soldiers vs Torturers
Honor vs Greediness

I would take that bet any day of the week!

May 24, 2009 04:19 pm at 4:19 pm |

Buddy

Cheney is a five time draft dodger and Limbaugh certainly embodies all of he Neo-Con principles... you know.... recreational drug addictions, mulptiple marriage and divorces, infidelities, obesity... you name it, Limbaugh's done it. So of course Rove picked Limbaugh, that was an easy one for him.